Saturday, April 18, 2020

4-Ingredient Amish White Bread + VIDEO

4-Ingredient Amish White Bread is a simple recipe that creates a soft and tender, slightly sweet white bread. It is so easy, it is nearly a no-fail recipe. This is a keeper!

There is just something about making your own bread. It is unlike any other 'domestic' task. It is especially wonderful when it is this easy.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Active dry yeast

Warm water - You could also use milk or beer. They are both tasty in bread recipes. Just make sure to warm them in the microwave, until they feel warm to the touch.

All-purpose flour -
Do not use bread flour or whole wheat flour, as they are much heavier
than AP flour. As a result, the bread will be dense and doughy.

Granulated sugar - This recipe is very forgiving. You can adjust the sugar up or down according to your preference. You can also substitute another sweetener like honey in this recipe.

Salt - Fine grain kosher salt is the best for bread recipes like this one.

Butter - I personally prefer unsalted butter so I can add the salt to my liking. If you use salted butter you can cut down the salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.

How to make 4-Ingredient Amish White Bread

The complete ingredient list and instructions are shown in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe tips for the perfect loaf of bread

Combining the ingredients

Kneading the dough

Shaping the dough for the rise - fold the sides
of the dough over into the middle of the dough. Flip the dough over. Cup
your hands along the right and left sides of the dough and pull it
toward you. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat. After about 10
times you will have a nice smooth dough.

Getting a good rise - Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a
large microwave-safe bowl. Heat butter in
the microwave until butter is melted. Place the dough into the bowl with the butter,
flipping once to grease the top. Make sure the smooth side of the ball is on top for the rise. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and a towel over
the top and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1
hour.

Shape the bread for the bread pans - Place dough on a lightly floured countertop. Pat one of the divided doughs into an oval. Fold the top third of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Use the heel of your hand to press the top layer into the bottom layer.
Repeat with the bottom third of the dough. Like you are folding a
letter. Fold the dough in half. Pull the ends of the dough down and tuck under like a
package to make a smooth dough.

The second rise - Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Testing for doneness - Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaf is pale brown in color. If you turn the bread over and tap on it, it should sound hollow.

Speaking of simple recipes, of course our new cookbook {The Simple Kitchen - available to order now}is packed with delicious, easy recipes.

The Simple Kitchen is loaded with more than 75 BRAND NEW recipes and a hand full of family favorites too.

8 chapters with a total of 82 quick and easy recipes that are bursting with flavor!!!

Every recipe has a photo that will make your mouth water. It has slow cooker meals, one-pot recipes, quick dinners, simple appetizers, desserts and more!!!

And we have included kitchen tips to make dinnertime less stressful.

We are so excited to share our recipes with you!!! So, don't wait. Go and grab yours today! The Simple Kitchen<-- click here to order.

Helpful Tips to make Simple Amish White Bread Recipe:

Bread flour will achieve the highest possible rise and a chewier crumb, all-purpose is more common to have on hand. You can use either.

You can make this recipe without a stand mixer. Add water, yeast, and sugar to a large bowl. Once the yeast blooms stir in the butter, salt and the flour using a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a floured countertop and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and holds its shape (when you poke it, it springs back). Proceed with remaining instructions.

If bread starts to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

For hamburger buns, grease a cookie sheet. Divide dough and roll into balls. Gently press on dough balls with the palm of your hand (creating a bun shape).

4-Ingredient Amish White Bread will stay fresh for 4-5 days at room temperature. It’s still safe to eat after that time, but it will most likely be stale by then. To store the bread after slicing, place it in a paper bag. Be sure to remove as much air as possible before tightly closing up the bag. You can also freeze this bread for later use. I recommend slicing it before freezing. You can freeze for up to 6 months.

Check out more of our favorite scrumptious bread recipes:

See How Easy it is to Make 4-Ingredient Amish White Bread. Watch the video!

Yield: 2 Loaves

Author: Donna Elick

Simple Amish White Bread Recipe

4-Ingredient Amish White Bread is a simple recipe that creates a
soft and tender, slightly sweet white bread. It is so easy, it is nearly
a no-fail recipe. This is a keeper!

prep time: 5 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 35 M

ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (2 packets)

2 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 120°)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon kosher salt

6-7 cups all-purpose flour

instructions:

How to bake 4-Ingredient Amish White Bread

Melt 4 tablespoons butter. I microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time until it is mostly melted. I recommend covering with a paper towel to avoid messes. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer add sugar and water. Sprinkle yeast over top and swirl with spoon or fingers to combine. Allow the yeast to sit for about
5-10 minutes while the it blooms and becomes aromatic.

Add melted butter, 4 cups flour, and salt. Mix on low, using the dough hook, until smooth. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough ball forms (I use the entire 7 cups). Turn the mixer to medium and knead for 5 minutes. When it is ready, your ball of dough should be tacky, not sticky. When you touch the dough and pull your fingers away the dough should not stick to your fingers. If it is sticky, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a
time until it becomes tacky.

Turn the dough onto a floured board; knead about 10 turns. To knead dough: fold it
in half, gently press the dough away from you with the heel of your
hand and then turn the dough. Repeat. When you are finished kneading
your dough should be smooth and elastic.

Shape dough into a smooth ball so it will rise properly: fold the sides
of the dough over into the middle of the dough. Flip the dough over. Cup
your hands along the right and left sides of the dough and pull it
toward you. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat. After about 10
times you will have a nice smooth dough.

Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat butter in
the microwave until butter is melted. Place the dough into the bowl with the butter,
flipping once to grease the top. Make sure the smooth side of the ball is on top for the rise. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and a towel over the top and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide into two loaves.

Shape the bread for the bread pans: Place dough on a lightly floured countertop. Pat one of the divided doughs into an oval. Fold the top third of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Use the heel of your hand to press the top layer into the bottom layer. Repeat with the bottom third of the dough. Like you are folding a letter. Fold the dough in half. Pull the ends of the dough down and tuck under like a
package to make a smooth dough.

Place each dough in a greased 9-in. x 5-in loaf pan. Press the dough down flat in the bread pan, using your flat hand to help it rise evenly.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Place bread on the center rack. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. You can turn in out onto a plate and thump the bottom of the bread if it sounds hollow it is done.

Allow the bread to cool in the bread pan, on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pans and brush with the remaining butter.

Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting or you may smoosh the bread loaf. I can never wait, but it is best if you can.

DONNA'S NOTES

Bread flour will achieve the highest possible rise and a chewier crumb,
all-purpose is more common to have on hand. You can use either.

You can make this recipe without a stand mixer. Add water, yeast, and
sugar to a large bowl. Once the yeast blooms stir in the butter, salt and the flour using a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a floured countertop and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and holds its shape (when you poke it, it springs back). Proceed with remaining instructions.

If bread starts to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

For hamburger buns, grease a cookie sheet. Divide dough and roll into
balls. Gently press on dough balls with the palm of your hand (creating
a bun shape).

4-Ingredient Amish White Bread will stay fresh for 4-5 days at room temperature. It’s still safe to eat after that time, but it will most likely be stale by then. To store the bread after slicing, place it in a paper bag. Be sure to remove as much air as possible before tightly closing up the bag. You can also freeze this bread for later use. I recommend slicing it before freezing. You can freeze for up to 6 months.

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

What do you use to mix when you're one of the Planet's Unfortunate Souls That's has not yet been upgraded to a KitchenAid, or any high class stand up mixer? This girl is still pulling a hand mixer out...or just her hand to mix :/. Help?!

I burned up 3...yes, 3 mixers by using them to make bread. As we're retired, we watch our spending, so I thought, if frontier women could make bread without a mixer, I can. I have wire whisks, so I got all of my liquids ready, sifted my flour, got my yeast to bloom to about 1/2" of creamy, yeasty perfection, donned my plastic gloves and mixed the hell out of it! I actually took the full 10 minutes to knead, and in the end produced 2 loaves of this scrumptious bread! That was last night...and we ate one loaf in place of supper! So..sue me!

Start the recipe the same. Add flour and mix with a hand mixer until it becomes difficult to mix. At that point pour mixture to a well floured surface and knead by hand adding flour a cup at a time until incorporated.

Add flour until dough is tacky, not sticky. This video is helpful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWj8oHMPFm0

I love to make bread and feel much the way you do when I pull the finished loaves from the oven. I have often thought I should make my own hamburger buns, but have never done so. This recipe has inspired me to make a batch. But when I was going through the directions, I thought that baking them for 30-35 minutes would definitely be too long. How long do you bake your rolls? I want my rolls to stand up to a hearty hamburger or a truly sloppy Sloppy Joe, but I want people to be able to bite into the roll.... :) Thank you, Donna!

The cook time should be relatively the same. So perhaps check them at 25 minutes. Thump one on the top and if it sounds hollow you are done. But, I would bet they will still need to cook for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

I have a question. I am new to making bread. When visiting my daughter she gave me her bread machine. Now I mix my bread in the machine but I do not back it in the machine. I let it mix for about 7-10 minutes. I then take it out and put in my greased bowl. I place it in the over and let it rise for about 1 hour. I then take it out, get it ready for the loaf pan and let rise another 45-60 minutes. Then I turn the oven on 350 and bake. I said also this to show I make bread. With this recipe can I still mix it in the bread machine?

I do not use a bread machine, but have heard of our readers using the machine to mix the dough. If you are familiar with the process I would absolutely give it a try. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

I'm new to making bread and have tried several recipes. This one is hands down the best! I'm making 2 loaves per week, 1 for our family and blessing another family with the other. However, I am having one problem with it. The bottom inch of the bread is always dense and hard. The rest is great, only the bottom is bad. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Hi Tess, you can absolutely use your hands. Here are the instructions: You can make this recipe without a stand mixer. Add water, yeast and sugar to a large bowl. Once the yeast blooms stir in the salt and the flour using a wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto floured counter top and knead for 10-12 minutes until dough is no longer sticky and holds its shape (when you poke it, it springs back). Proceed with remaining instructions.

For the last two years I've been making a recipe for sandwich bread from America's Test Kitchen. I decided to try this one for a change of pace. I'm in love! I live in bush Alaska and the only way to get fresh bread is to make it.

Donna, you wonderful human being! I tried this for my household as a little test alternative to my usual Italian style bread, and this Amish white went from experiment to household staple! I have been baking this 3 times a week (feeding my household and my neighbors now too!) for the last month, and the family just cannot get enough of it. I typically do hoagie-style sandwich rolls, though this bread is great as a full loaf, for hamburger buns, and, no joke, I even set aside from leftover dough in the fridge and it made a much applauded pizza crust! Haha!

I just wanted to thank you for this recipe, and encourage anyone who sees this to give it a whirl! It is some of the best bread you can bake!

Well I've just found your recipe and can't wait to try this bread. I used to make bread years ago, then stopped when all the children grew up and got married. Now we have 2 grandsons living with us, and I am wanting to make bread for them. I can't wait to start making bread again and I'm sure the boys will just love it. Many thanks I'll let you know how it goes.

Made this and both loaves were gone after one day! It turned out exactly like you said, delicious!! That was the last of my active dry yeast and I now only have Instant yeast can that be substituted? Boy I sure hope so! Thanks for the help!